The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-23
FIRING INTO A TRAIN.
Vandalia Mall and Passenger Coaches Rid
died with Bullets.

vandalia Mall and Passenger Coaches Rid
died with Bullets.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.
The passengers who arrived in the city early
this morning by the Vandalia express from In
dianapolis had a somewhat thrilling experience
near Greenup crossing. l23 miles from 81
Louis There was an accident on ono Of the
connecting lines east of Indianapolis, which
caused the ST. Louis express to leave that city
several hours behind time. and this with thede-
lay which occurred Gresnup kept
the train, which due at 730 P.
NJ yesterday, from reaching the city IN
I'll l2l5 this morning After the train
had left Indianapolis conductor F. NJ. Pfouts
discovered four men stealing ride on the front
OF one of the mail coaches, and he promptly
They pretended to do SO, but instead hid behind
some bushes and jumped the of the
engines tender as the train pulled out from the
station. Here they Were again discovered by the
conductor when Greenup crossing was reached.
and this time they We're forcibly put off. They
at once went into the shadow of some large trees
near the track. and, darkness had just set in,
they were completely hidden from view.
AS the train left the station the men COM
menced firing into it from their places of con-
cealment, aud heavy fusillade was kept up
for several minutes The bullets struck the
baggage and mail cars and passed through the
windows of the passenger coaches. Railway
postal clerks j. Fl, Roberta, Martin Wild and
s. b. Baridon, who were in the mail car, had
narrow escape. as several bullets passed
through the car, them to be I'M
comfortable. gong out the opposite side,
showing the character of the weapons used.
The passengers were terribly frightened. and one
old German imagined that he had really been
wounded, the bullet whizzing close to his
head His fellow passengers examined him
carefully after the excitement had begun to sub
slde but it was found that he was only scared
and not hurt. All of the people in the coaches
heard the whistling of the bullets as they few
around. and this. with the crashing of window
panes, was we'll calculated to frighten the aver
age peaceful man out of his wits.
When the firing commenced everybody sup
posed that attempt was being made to rob
nd hast W hat
nous movement was made to secrete watches,
jewelry, money and whatever valuables were in
sight. The mail clerks say that twenty
twenty five shots fred and that all of the
four men who had just been put off the train
took hand in the shooting
The train had Just started and was moving
slowly when the shooting began, and just it
ceased conductor Pfouts pulled the bell to stop,
and backed up to the station. He then, in
company with the brakeman and hagmen,
made short search for the men who had done
the shooting, but the train had
a weapon of any kind, it was thought best not
to attempt any pursuit into the darkness of
the forest whittier the would-be assassins
had fed. The entire train was unprotected, and
if the men had only known this fact, they could
have robbed it without difficulty. 1t was the
general belief that they had intended to rob
the train when some convenient place was
T 5ls but soa at the place where they
sight OF the station telegraph Office,
and this possibly prevented them from
making the attempt there. From the station
conductor Pfouts telegraphed to all the
est stations warning them to be the lookout
for the four men, and it is said that posse
organized to go in search of them. The conduc-
tor and brakeman, who only the men in the
darkness, can not give accurate description
of them. and supposed them to be tramps at the
time they were put off the train Thew were
evidently we'll armed. the holes in the cars
made by the bullets showed that they must have
been of very heavy calibers When the train
reached the city last night. train men and pas
sengers were alike worn out and mentally ex-
hausted by the delays and exciting incidents of
law